Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02801796 2013-01-11
CA Application
Bakes Ref. 79455100004
1 FLOOR PANEL
2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
3 The invention relates to a rectangular floor panel with mutually
parallel, substantially
4 planar upper and lower sides and with two pairs of respective mutually
opposite side edges
connecting the upper and lower sides, wherein the opposite side edges of a
pair are provided
6 with complementary profiles for interconnecting adjacent floor panels,
wherein of at least one
7 pair of opposite side edges the profile of a first side edge is defined
by a frontal face
8 extending substantially vertically from the upper side and over part of
the thickness of the
9 floor panel, a first support face extending inwardly substantially in a
horizontal direction from
the lower end of said frontal face, a locking face extending upwardly from the
inner end of
11 said first support face to a position at some distance from the upper
side of the floor panel, a
12 second support face extending inwardly again from the upper end of said
locking face and
13 finally a counter face extending downwardly from the inner end of said
second support face
14 all the way to the lower side of the floor panel, and wherein the
profile of the corresponding
second side edge of the respective pair of opposite side edges is defined by a
frontal face
16 extending substantially vertically from the lower side and over part of
the thickness of the
17 floor panel, a first support face extending inwardly substantially in a
horizontal direction from
18 the upper end of said frontal face, a locking face extending downwardly
from the inner end of
19 said first support face to a position at some distance from the lower
side of the floor panel, a
second support face extending inwardly again from the lower end of said
locking face and
21 finally a counter face extending upwardly from the inner end of said
second support face all
22 the way to the upper side of the floor panel, wherein for maintaining
two adjacent floor panels
23 in an interconnected position a frontal face of a profile cooperates
with a counter face of the
24 other profile, the first support face of a profile cooperates with the
second support face of the
other profile and the locking faces of both profiles cooperate with each
other, and wherein
26 the frontal faces and the counter faces are provided with locking tabs
cooperating in the
27 interconnected position of adjacent floor panels.
28 Such a type of floor panel is known from the US patent application
2009/133358. The
29 described profiles with locking tabs in the interconnected state of
adjacent floor panels create
a locking between adjacent panels in the horizontal and vertical direction. In
particular,
31 primarily the cooperation between the frontal faces and the counter
faces and between the
32 locking faces causes a horizontal locking, whereas the vertical locking
(and positioning in a
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CA Application
Makes Ref. 79455100004
1 common plane) primarily is caused by the cooperation between the first
and second support
2 faces and between the locking tabs. However, ills noted that the term
cooperating should
3 not be construed in such a limited sense that the respective faces at all
times would engage
4 each other.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved floor panel of
the type
6 referred to above.
7 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
8 Thus, in accordance with the present invention the floor panel further
is provided with
9 two reinforcement layers extending substantially in parallel to the upper
and lower sides of
the floor panel, wherein the locking tabs substantially are positioned at the
level of said
11 reinforcement layers.
12 By virtue of the use of the reinforcing layers it becomes possible to
optimally adapt
13 several parts of the floor panel to demands imposed thereupon using an
appropriate choice
14 of material, without detrimentally influencing the effect of the
operation of the locking tabs. By
means of the reinforcement layers the locking tabs at one hand may be designed
sufficiently
16 flexible, while at the other hand being sufficiently strong. Further it
becomes possible to make
17 the reinforcement layers stiffer than the remainder of the floor panel
(which possible may be
18 constructed from components having a different modulus of elasticity).
19 A floor panel to which the present invention relates may, in a manner
known per se,
be constructed from different layers and may have different dimensions and
thicknesses.
21 Within the scope of the present invention it is not necessary to further
elucidate these
22 aspects. Further it is possible that the floor panel (or components
thereof) comprise a
23 considerable amount (for example more than 30%) of recycled (plastic)
material.
24 Using the invention a floor panel is provided which together with
corresponding floor
panels may be interconnected in an easy manner for creating a floor covering
which during a
26 prolonged life defines a stable assembly. The floor panel may be
machined in many, very
27 diverse manners.
28 In a preferred embodiment of the floor panel according to the present
invention, the
29 reinforcement layers extend into the locking tabs. As a result these
locking tabs in an optimal
manner take advantage of the effect of these reinforcement layers.
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CA Appheation
Makes Ref. 79455/00004
1 However, the above does not preclude the possibility that the
reinforcement layers
2 end near to the locking tabs without extending therein. Also in such a
case a strengthening
3 effect on the locking tabs already may be obtained.
4 Preferably the locking tabs and the reinforcement layers are
positioned in the
immediate vicinity of the lower side and upper side of the floor panel.
6 The (locking) forces acting between floor panels in the interconnected
position of
7 such adjacent floor panels extend inclined between pairs of cooperating
locking tabs at the
8 upper side and at the lower side of the floor panels. The closer such
pairs of cooperating
9 locking tabs are to the upper side and lower side, respectively, of the
floor panels, the larger
will be the part of the thickness of said floor panels contributing to the
force transmittal (and
11 the more strong the connection between the adjacent floor panels will
be).
12 In one embodiment of the floor panel the lower and upper reinforcement
layers are
13 positioned at a level of between 8 and 14% and a level of between 93 and
96%, respectively,
14 of the total thickness of the floor panel. For example, when the floor
panel has a thickness of
about 4.5 mm, the lower and upper reinforcement layers then are positioned at
a level of
16 between 0.4 and 0.6 mm and a level of between 4.2 and 4.3 mm,
respectively, above the
17 lower side of the floor panel.
18 The above does not preclude that the floor panel also may have a
different thickness,
19 for example between 4 and 8 mm.
In another embodiment of the floor panel according to the present invention
the upper
21 reinforcement layer is positioned above the second support face of the
profile of the first side
22 edge and wherein the lower reinforcement layer is positioned below the
second support face
23 of the profile of the second side edge.
24 Basically this means that both reinforcement layers extend
uninterrupted along the
entire length (and/or width) of the floor panel without being interrupted by
the profiles defined
26 at the respective side edges, such that their reinforcing effect may be
used in an optimal
27 manner.
= 28 The reinforcement layers may comprise a woven or non-woven fibre
material, for
29 example a glass fibre material. They may have a thickness of 0.2 ¨ 0.4
mm.
In another embodiment of the floor panel according to the present invention
the
31 locking face of the profile of the first side edge is inclined upwardly
and inwardly with a first
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Btakes Ref. 79455/00004
1 angle of 14-21 with respect to the vertical, whereas the locking face of
the profile of the
2 second side edge is inclined downwardly and inwardly with a second angle
of 15-22 with
3 respect to the vertical and wherein the second angle is at most 10 larger
than the first angle.
4 As a result of such a shape, interconnecting two adjacent floor panels
may be carried
out with ease, while the said locking faces slide along each other and the
locking gradually
6 get engaged. The optimal angles depend from the shape and material
properties of the
7 locking tabs.
8 Interconnecting adjacent floor panels at said first and second side
edges primarily
9 occurs through a mutual vertical (translating) connecting movement. When
both pairs of
opposite side edges are provided with said complementary profiles with frontal
faces, first
11 and second support faces, locking faces and counter faces, such a
vertical motion occurs
12 everywhere.
13 However, it is conceivable too that laying floor panels is a combination
of (primarily) a
14 rotation around one of the side edges, whereas at the two side edges
perpendicular to said
side edge primarily a vertical motion occurs. In such a case the respective
shape will differ
16 among pairs of opposite side edges, as is known per se.
17 The floor panel substantially may comprise a number of stacked plastic-
based layers,
18 such as for example a top layer comprising a first reinforcing layer,
and a core layer
19 positioned there below comprising a second reinforcing layer. Further it
is possible that the
top layer successively comprises a transparent finishing layer, a decorative
layer and a
21 thermoplastic support layer. The core layer may comprise a thermoplastic
material.
22 In another embodiment the floor panel comprises bevels at the connection
of the
23 frontal face of the profile of the first side edge and the connection of
the counter face of the
24 profile of the second edge, respectively, with the upper side of the
floor panel. Such bevels
may be manufactured in different ways, for example by locally heating and next
displacing
26 material and/or by milling off material.
27 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
28 Hereinafter the invention is elucidated by means of the drawing, in
which:
29 Figure 1 illustrates a cross section of two adjacent, not yet
interconnected, floor
panels according to the invention;
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CA Application
Brakes Ref. 79455/00004
1 Figure 2 illustrates a cross section of two adjacent floor panels
according to the
2 invention during interconnecting, and
3 Figure 3 illustrates a cross section of two adjacent, interconnected,
floor panels
4 according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
6 It is noted that indications of directions and positions always relate
to floor panels
7 which assume a horizontal, planar position. In the respective figures a
cross section is
8 illustrated of (in a top plan view) substantially rectangular floor
panels. Each floor panel
9 comprises a planar upper side 1 and a substantially planar lower side 2
in parallel therewith.
Further, each panel comprises two pairs of respective mutually opposite side
edges 3,4
11 connecting the upper and lower sides. In the figures always only the
side edges belonging to
12 one pair are shown.
13 The opposite side edges of a pair are provided with complementary
profiles for
14 interconnecting adjacent floor panels. In the illustrated embodiment the
profile of a first side
edge 3 of the illustrated pair of opposite side edges is defined by a frontal
face 5 extending
16 substantially vertically from the upper side 1 and over part of the
thickness of the floor panel,
17 a first support face 6 extending inwardly substantially in a horizontal
direction from the lower
18 end of said frontal face 5, a locking face 7 extending upwardly from the
inner end of said first
19 support face 6 to a position at some distance from the upper side 1 of
the floor panel, a
second support face 8 extending inwardly again from the upper end of said
locking face 7
21 and finally a counter face 9 extending downwardly from the inner end of
said second support
22 face 8 all the way to the lower side 2 of the floor panel.
23 In a corresponding manner the profile of the corresponding second side
edge 4 of the
24 respective pair of opposite side edges is defined by a frontal face 10
extending substantially
vertically from the lower side 2 and over part of the thickness of the floor
panel, a first support
26 face 11 extending inwardly substantially in a horizontal direction from
the upper end of said
27 frontal face 10, a locking face 12 extending downwardly from the inner
end of said first
28 support face 11 to a position at some distance from the lower side 2 of
the floor panel, a
29 second support face 13 extending inwardly again from the lower end of
said locking face 12
and finally a counter face 14 extending upwardly from the inner end of said
second support
31 face 13 all the way to the upper side 1 of the floor panel.
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Blakes Ref. 79455100004
1 For in an interconnected position maintaining the relative position of
two adjacent
2 floor panels (see figure 3) a frontal face 5 and 10, respectively, of a
profile cooperates with a
3 counter face 14 and 9, respectively, of the other profile. Further, the
first support face 6 and
4 11, respectively, of a profile cooperates with the second support face 13
and 8, respectively,
of the other profile. Finally the locking faces 7 and 12 of both profiles
cooperate with each
6 other.
7 The frontal faces 5,10 and the counter faces 9,14 are provided with
locking tabs 15-
8 18 cooperating in the interconnected position of adjacent floor panels.
In the interconnected
9 position (figure 3) the tabs 15 and 17 engage behind the tabs 18 and 16,
such that basically
a good mutual vertical locking between adjacent floor panels is obtained.
11 The floor panel further is provided with two reinforcement layers 19,20
extending
12 substantially in parallel to the upper and lower sides of the floor
panel, wherein the locking
13 tabs 15-18 substantially are positioned at the level of said
reinforcement layers. The
14 reinforcement layers 19,20 may extend into the locking tabs 15-18 (for
example all the way to
the most protruding part thereof) but may also end close thereto.
16 The locking tabs 15-18 and the reinforcement layers 19,20 are positioned
in the
17 immediate vicinity of the lower side 2 and upper side 1 of the floor
panel. As a result, when
18 one tries to move the floor panels apart (force 21) in the
interconnected position of adjacent
19 floor panels (figure 3), a connecting force (arrow 22) is created which
extends inclined over a
large part of the total thickness of the floor panels, thus in an optimal
manner using the
21 strength of the floor panels.
22 For example it is possible that the lower and upper reinforcement layers
20 and 19,
23 respectively, are positioned at a level of between 8 and 14% and a level
of between 93 and
24 96%, respectively, of the total thickness of the floor panel (counted
from the lower side 2 of
the floor panel).
26 The upper reinforcement layer 19 is positioned above the second support
face 8 of
27 the profile of the first side edge 3, whereas the lower reinforcement
layer 20 is positioned
28 below the second support face 13 of the profile of the second side edge
4. As a result these
29 reinforcing layers are not interrupted by these profiles.
As illustrated in figure 2, the locking face 7 of the profile of the first
side edge 3 is
31 inclined upwardly and inwardly with a first angle A of 14-21 with
respect to the vertical,
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1 whereas the locking face 12 of the profile of the second side edge 4 is
inclined downwardly
2 and inwardly with a second angle B of 15-22 with respect to the vertical
The second angle
3 B is at most 1 larger than the first angle A. As a result of such an
inclined orientation of the
4 locking faces 7,12 the locking movement, during which the locking faces
slide along each
other, may occur in an optimal manner while bringing the cooperating locking
tabs 15,18 and
6 17,16, respectively, into engagement with each other. Such a movement
occurs by
7 (according to arrow 23) pressing down a floor panel while the adjacent
floor panel rests on a
8 floor 26 with its lower side.
9 Finally the floor panel according to the present invention may comprise
bevels 24,25
at the connection of the frontal face 5 of the profile of the first side edge
3 and the connection
11 of the counter face 14 of the profile of the second edge 4,
respectively, with the upper side 1
12 of the floor panel. This may contribute to obtaining a decorative
appearance in the
13 assembled position.
14 The invention is not limited to the embodiments described before which
may be
varied widely within the scope of the invention as defined by the appending
claims.
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